Paws of the Moon
by Animal Storyteller
Summary: Rigby thinks he lives a normal life till he realizes there is much about him he doesn't know. Rigby and Eileen set off to the mountains to find out everything that has been hiding for all these years. And not everyone will make it out alive.
1. The Beginning of Visions

Rigby slept in his trampoline, tossing and turning in the laundry. He snored with content as he curled up in the perfect position.

Then he heard yelling.

_You better get up right now or you're FIRED!_

_Crap!_

Rigby flipped up out of his comfortable position and saw Mordecai and Benson standing over him.

"What now?!" Rigby hissed, his tail thrashing.

"YOU OVERSLEPT, YOU IDIOT!" Benson snapped, "You two were supposed to clean the _park bathrooms!"._

_What if I don't feel like it? Ever thought about that? _However Rigby would never say that out loud to his boss.

"C'mon, lets go Rigby, we got to work" Mordecai sighed.

_Ugh, fine!_ Rigby got up and both of them left to clean the park restrooms.

Later, Rigby went to the Coffee Shop. Mordecai, whom was over Margaret(sort of), would normally go with him, but Mordecai chose to help Skips clean the golf carts to make up for the fact that they both overslept.

Rigby shouldered his way through the doors, and crawled in.

Eileen smiled and waved, "The usual?".

"With a Ham Sandwich Lunch Combo, please" Rigby replied. Eileen nodded and took off to do that.

Rigby stared off, something felt..._different._ Something felt odd, strange. Like he needed to do something to complete his life, to solve a _mystery..._

_You're probably just tired, rest when you get back, you'll be fine tomorrow. _But Rigby was unsure if that would even work...

"Your usual with the Ham Sandwich Lunch Combo" Eileen said, giving it to Rigby.

"..Oh! Sorry, thanks" Rigby replied suddenly.

"You're Welcome" Eileen replied before walking away.

Rigby ate in content bites and left. Each pawstep on the park's grounds made his mind hurt, and he didn't know why.

If things didn't get crazy enough, Rigby heard the vague, silent whispers in his mind, speaking to him.

_Help us..._

_We need you, Whisker!_

_Come back!_

_Why aren't you answering us?_

"Because you're just _voices in my head!_ SHUT UP!" Rigby snarled.

"Uh...Rigby" Rigby flipped around in alarm and saw it was only Thomas.

"Hey..." Rigby said, mentally face-palming himself, he was being such an idiot!

"Hey, if you're not busy, I could use some help getting the stray dogs out from under the bridges" Thomas said, pointing to the bridge afar.

"Oh yeah, sure..." Rigby said, following Thomas.

Suddenly, visions of huge, short-snouted dogs appeared in his head, their tongues lolling out of their mouth, and their sharp teeth sticking out.

_Whisker, stay away from them!_

_They'll kill you!_

_My name isn't Whisker! I already told you, SHUT UP! _Rigby got more frustrated at the voices that suddenly appeared this day.

Thomas and Rigby approached the bridge and saw a cardboard box, snoring noises were inside.

Rigby felt something slimy around his neck, he looked down, it was a raw steak around his neck, tied up with a knot.

"I needed you as the proper bait so I can block this area of the bridge while they're..._chasing you"_ Thomas explained.

"_What?" _Rigby couldn't believe his ears, and the voices began screaming slurred words that he couldn't hear, almost so loud he couldn't hear Thomas.

"_Please?_ I can't do this without you! You're fast, right?" Thomas asked.

_If I knew I was doing this, I wouldn't have ate! _Rigby trembled at the thought.

"Y-yes" Rigby replied, "I can do this".

"Great! Just cross the river and move around with the steak around your neck, just lead them to the other side of the City, preferably the Alley" Thomas explained.

Rigby gulped, did _Benson_ know he was doing this?

Rigby jumped in the river and leaped out, almost falling back in because of the steak's weight. Rigby was about to approach the box till visions flashed again.

_NO MORE VISIONS! I'M GOING TO GET KILLED! _But it was too late.

Rigby was in the middle of the same dogs in his vision, Rigby knew this wasn't real, but it sure felt like it.

Raccoons were in the bushes, screeching "Whisker!" from all around.

Rigby stood in fear, he needed to wake up to face the _real_ dogs! Not this vision!

Right as the huge dog leaped, it transformed into a skinnier dog.

The vision was gone!

The huge golden dog snapped at his neck. Rigby flipped out of the dog's grip and jumped across the river, running from the huge paws. He glimpsed back, more dogs were chasing him

_Stupid voices! Stupid visions! _Rigby already felt tired running, but at least he was in the city.

Sweat fell from his fur and onto the steak attached to him. Rigby knew he couldn't run much longer.

He heard the dogs snarling and yowling in triumph as they caught up to him. The golden one grabbed his scruff and tossed him across the Alley.

Rigby fell with a thud and gasped in pain as one of the dogs picked him up and threw him just like the other one did.

The dogs took turns picking him up and throwing him around till his vision blurred and he felt the taste of blood in his mouth.

_Thanks a lot, Thomas! _Rigby felt his body slam onto the concrete. And he felt darkness take over...

Rigby than woke up in a forest, the sky was a dark blue. He noticed a raccoon twice his size walk towards him

"What now?!" Rigby hissed, "Are you here to bring more agony to what I'm already dealing with! I'm probably already DEAD!".

"You need to return to the Mountains" the huge raccoon said.

"_Return?!" _Rigby growled, "I've never been to any mountains in my life!".

"There is a lot you don't know" the large raccoon growled, "Your parents and your brother, Don, are all tall, but you're not".

"Yeah, so?" Rigby asked, what was he trying to say.

"They're not _your real family" _the large raccoon growled before disappearing.

_What?!_

"WAIT!" Rigby screamed, "COME BACK!".


	2. Need for the Truth

Rigby tossed and turned and his eyes fluttered open.

"Hey buddy!"

Rigby noticed he was on Mordecai's bed. "What happened?" Rigby asked.

"Well, after Thomas spilled the beans to Benson on how he insisted you lead away a pack of dogs, let's just say Benson was REALLY mad. Thomas got fired right on the spot" Mordecai explained, "Rest for as long as you need too. I'll be back in case you need anything".

Mordecai set a glass of water on a TV table next to Rigby. Rigby threw the blankets over himself.

_Thomas got fired? _Rigby was surprised. He looked down and noticed stitches were all over his body. He noticed there was a cut on his left ear. He felt tired and beaten up.

_How did they find me? _Rigby noticed clumps of his fur was missing. He sighed.

"Rigby!"

Rigby saw Eileen run in. She instantly ran to his side.

"You okay?" Eileen asked, "Mordecai told me everything!".

"Yeah, I'm fine" Rigby lied. Then his head started hurting very much.

_Oh no! Not the voices again!_

_Echo!_

_Yeah! Whisker and Echo are probably going to be mates!_

_Huh, yeah!_

_What do you think, Bruno?_

_Eh, he's in denial!_

_That's the large raccoon that told me about my family not really being my family!_ Rigby instantly recognized the voice of "Bruno", the large raccoon that sought to him in a dream, telling him his whole life was a lie.

"Rigby?"

"Huh, wha? Sorry, I just drifted off for a bit..." Rigby muttered.

"Hey Eileen, how are you, Rigby?" Mordecai asked, walking in.

"Good, I guess" Rigby replied back.

"Wanna go with me to deliver something to a family outside of the city so you can get some fresh air?" Mordecai asked, "We'll take the golf cart".

"OK" Rigby replied, "Carry me".

Mordecai threw Rigby over his shoulder and on the golf cart was a picnic basket with blankets inside.

"Is that what you're delivering?" Rigby asked.

"No, that's the package in the back, _that basket_ is your seat"

Rigby groaned in defeat as Mordecai slipped him in the basket and the golf cart started.

After driving for what seemed like forever, Mordecai grabbed the package and knocked the door. Two raccoons opened the door.

"Are you guys the Pawsmiths?" Mordecai asked.

"We are" said the female raccoon, she wore a pink shirt and skirt and she had ginger hair. The guy who seemed to be Mr. Pawsmith was bulky, had some extra brown hair on his head, and wore a green shirt.

"Here" Mordecai said, handing the package.

"Thank you" purred, "I've had a tough time, losing my son".

"I'm sorry" Mordecai replied, "Would you two like to meet my best friend, Rigby? He's very injured, but I brought him with me so he could get some fresh air".

The Pawsmiths looked down at Rigby, who was still in the basket, tucked in the pink blanket.

"Hello" Rigby said, trying to break the awkwardness. He noticed that Mrs. Pawsmith was pregnant.

_Starting over after they've lost their son? _Rigby's ears flickered.

"Hello" Mrs. Pawsmith said, "You're a groundskeeper too, right?".

"Y-yes" Rigby stammered.

"Nice to meet you, Rigby" Mr. Pawsmith greeted.

Rigby waved and closed his eyes, the voices began again.

_The truth is close, Whisker!_

_Shut up, Bruno! _Rigby noticed the golf cart was moving. He peered one eye open to see Mordecai back in the driver's seat.

They drove back to the house where Mordecai placed Rigby back onto the bed.

Rigby felt dizzy and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, he woke up between two boulders pressed against each other.

_Ugh! It's CRAMP in here!_

Rigby squeezed out of the rocks and noticed two male raccoons hanging on rocks that were on the edge of a mountain face.

"Hello...?" Rigby drifted off.

They both turned towards him. "Why, good morning Whisker" the bigger raccoon chirped.

"Yes, good morning" the smaller one said with a polite nod, "Are we done with guard duty yet?".

_What?_

"How long have you been there?" Rigby asked, trying to sound like he had a clue about what they were talking about.

"Since the moon touched the trees" the smaller raccoon replied.

"Uh sure..." Rigby nodded.

"Okay, I'll let Birch and Apple know that it's their turn, c'mon Elm" the bigger raccoon said.

"Yes, Leo" the smaller raccoon replied, following him.

Rigby watched the two raccoons disappear in a burrow covered with ferns.

_The heck?_

A medium sized male and a petite female crawled out of the burrow and positioned themselves on the same rocks that Leo and Elm were on.

_I'm soooooooooooo confused!_

"Hello, Whisker" Birch and Apple both said at the same time.

"Hey..." _I'm Rigby, idiots!_

"So...aren't you going to send out the patrol to the Feasting Meadow?" Birch asked.

"What?" Rigby could say before covering his mouth.

"Did you crack your head against the boulders this morning?!" Apple hissed, "Every morning, you sent a patrol to the Feasting Meadow to bring back food for the elders and pregnant or nursing females!".

"Don't speak to your leader like that!" a new voice said. Rigby jumped when he felt fur brush against him. It was a slender female raccoon with brown hair on her head.

_Who does she remind me of?_

"Of course _Whisker's mate_ would stand up for him!" Birch snorted.

"We're not mates" the female said casually, she then turned to me, "It's okay if you're tired, Whisker, I'll lead the patrol instead while you get some rest".

She then turned to the other two raccoons. They jumped.

"As for you two, you can stop _gossiping_ and get to guard duty!" the female snapped.

Rigby smirked. _I kinda find it sexy when she gets mad..._

Suddenly a huge figure appeared behind Rigby. It was another raccoon.

Rigby looked at him.

_Bruno!_


	3. Dreams Tell All

_Bruno!_

"He can go on the patrol, Echo" Bruno growled, "He looks fine!".

"Fine" Echo replied, "I gotta check on my sister and her cubs anyway".

"What fighters are in the burrow right now?" Bruno asked Birch.

"Leo, Elm, Wren, Willow, Trout, Falcon, Bay, and Delta" Birch replied.

"Are our elders still in the burrow?" Bruno asked.

"I'll check" Apple replied, she disappeared into the burrow and came back out, "Yes, Azalea and Jet are fine".

"My sister Quill is fine" Echo replied, emerging from the burrow, "Her cubs Rocky and Rue are also fine. So is Juniper".

_Ugh! So many names!_

"Alright, Willow, Trout, and Bay go with Whisker" Bruno said.

"Wait, _I'm leader,_ ain't I?!" Rigby snapped, "Why are _you_ bossing me around?!".

All the raccoons in the muntain clearing gasped. Rigby looked confused. _What did I say?_

"I'm your _older brother, _Whisker" Bruno growled, "Our father clearly made a _stupid_ decision choosing you as leader, now go!".

Rigby growled under his breath as three raccoons slid out of the burrow and sat in front of him.

One of them was a caramel brown raccoon while the other two were gray and scruffy.

"We ready?" the brown raccoon asked. Rigby was surprised at the smoothness in her tone.

"Yea..." Rigby flinched when he noticed Echo growling behind her. Was she _jealous?_

"Let's head out" Trout said.

"Yep, to the Feasting Meadow" Bay replied, "Long trip ahead".

Bay was right, Rigby and the other raccoons climbed down a mountain slope that went on forever. He felt rocks slip beneath him. He gasped as his paws felt nothing but air. Before he fell, the brown raccoon grabbed him by the scruff and dragged him back up.

"_Why_ are you being so clumsy today?" the brown raccoon growled.

"Hey Willow! Maybe he hit his head on a rock!" Trout chuckled.

Rigby rolled his eyes and after what felt like several lifetimes they finally made it to the Feasting Meadow.

Willow, Trout, and Bay spread out. Bay spotted a beetle in the grass and pounced. Willow grabbed a leaf and ducked it into the water.

"Uh...what are you doing?" Rigby asked, puzzled.

"Collecting water for the others like we always do, hey, are you alright?" Willow replied.

"Sure"

Suddenly Willow's eyes lit up and she stalked towards him, leaving the leaf of water on the grass floor. Rigby looked creeped out and backed away till-

**SPLASH!**

Water had splashed all over Willow and Rigby as Trout leaped after a fish struggling in the water, suddenly, Trout's head emerged from the surface with a fish in his mouth.

"Great job, Trout!" Bay had called, Bay then leaped in the water as well and resurfaced with a minnow.

Trout dropped his fish and grabbed another leaf to collect water.

"My cubs will thrive" Trout muttered, "They have too".

_Huh?_

"Dude, what are you talking about?" Rigby asked, padding away from Willow to speak to Trout.

"Juniper's expecting my cubs" Trout replied, "They _need_ to thrive".

Rigby was about to scoff till he saw the seriousness in his eyes. Rigby instead gave a curt nod and jumped in the water.

Rigby almost squeaked cause of the cold intensity of the water, but held it in. He swam underwater to see an abundant amount f fish of all sizes and colors. He saw a rainbow trout, caught it with his claw and threw it beside Trout. Trout instantly took it and killed it.

"Nice catch, Whisker" Trout purred.

"Thanks"

_**RUFF! RUFF!**_

"Oh no! RUNNNNN!" Bay cried.

Suddenly all three raccoon dropped their catches and ran.

_What?!_

Suddenly, a huge muscular black dog with yellow slobbery teeth leaped from the bushes and sank his claws into Rigby's catch.

"Hey!" Rigby snapped, though he regretted saying such, since the dog looked up at him with furious eyes.

"Uh..." Rigby then dashed like his life depended on it(cause it certainly did) and scrambled up the rocky slopes to avoid the dog's fangs.

Pebbles hit his face and he followed Willow, the only other raccoon he could see. She looked back and slowed down to run side by side with Rigby.

"What about the others?" Rigby gasped between run.

"...We're just going to go without food and water for today" Willow replied.

_Today? They've been through this before?_

"We need to go back!" Rigby growled, stopping on all fours. Willow padded up to him.

"YOU CAN'T!" Willow cried, "You'll get hurt!".

_Does she care about me that much?_

Rigby than entwined his tail with her's, making her face go red.

"I'll be _fine"_ Rigby purred softly, "Go find Trout and Bay".

Willow nodded and ran off. Rigby than smelt the dog and ran back in that direction.

_You're going DOWN!_

Rigb jumped down the rocks to the Feasting Meadow where the dog was devouring a fish.

"Hey Skunk-Breath!" Rigby snapped, "Butt-Kisser!".

The dog turned around and snarled. It ran at Rigby with stick-thin legs.

Rigby stood his ground and his fur fluffed up.

Before the dog could sink his claws into him, Rigby found himself struggling in his own bed. Mordecai was shaking him.

"Dude, you just had a bad dream" Mordecai said, "Here, have some milk while I bring you dinner".

Rigby felt pain all over him. _That was just a dream?!_

_I have to return to the mountains, I'm the reincarnation of Whisker._

Rigby got up and ran out of the house when Mordecai wasn't looking, the trees were over him as he ran out of the park towards the Coffee Shop, he sped to a halt.

He stopped to take a breath, sweat enclosing his fur. His mind overwhelmed with the new information he had. He fell on the sidewalk, panting till Eileen ran to his side.

"You OK, Rigby?!" Eileen gasped, the sweaty raccoon turned to face her.

"You...need to come...with...me...to the...mountains" Rigby panted.


	4. The Mountain-Traveling Trio

Eileen looked at him with wide eyes, "What?".

"The mountains, I feel I need to return...there" Rigby muttered.

"I've had dreams about the mountain" Eileen gasped, "You did too?".

"Yes!" Rigby replied with triumph, "We both know what to do right?".

"Not just you two!" a voice chuckled.

Rigby gasped, Chad the possum was in front of them.

"I've been having them as well, the raccoon tribe in the mountain" Chad explained.

Rigby growled and approached Chad with eyes full of fire and fury, Eileen came in between them.

"What's wrong, Rigby? Do you know him?"

"Oh, we _know each other, all right" _Chad growled, "We know each other _very well"._

"But you've been having the dreams?" Eileen asked, Chad smirked and nodded.

"Well, we should all go to the mountains!" Eileen announced.

Rigby's face fell, "_What?!"._

"He's had the dreams too, Rigby" Eileen hissed, "You're not going to fall apart because he's coming along".

"But-"

"No _buts"_ Eileen snapped, "It's like I'm talking to a little kid!".

"Where do we start?" Chad asked, walking to Eileen's side.

"Hmm...how about the Chipmunk Trail? That'll lead us in the right direction to the mountains" Eileen suggested.

"I guess" Rigby hissed under his breath.

They left the city and walked through the trail, it was full of life and forest. Rigby had been in city parks for so long, it almost seemed _ailen _to him.

"We should probably hunt something soon" Chad whispered in earshot.

"Meh, we can just go to a 7/11 and buy some-OW!" Rigby snapped when Eileen shoulder him, hard.

"We're going to hunt, we're not going to let anything distract us" Eileen snapped.

"I'll look" Chad said with a shrug he disappeared into the bushes.

"Why can't we just go to a 7/11?" Rigby whined, "I don't _wanna hunt!"._

"Quit acting like a little kid, and _start_ hunting!" Eileen snapped, before Rigby could reply, she turned tail and disappeared into the bushes as well.

_I guess I'll find a chipmunk if I'm lucky_

Rigby gave an obnoxious moan before sinking his claws into a tree and climbing up.

Suddenly, he visioned raccoon running the other way, snarls and growls emitting from the trees.

_The raccoon tribe has been here!_

He then sniffed a very peculiar scent. He lifted atop a branch to see a mangled bone hanging on several leaves. He sniffed it, and once his nose tocuhed the bone, he fell and convulsed.

He was with Bruno as Whisker, they were both running at high speeds.

_Where's the others?!_

_They're GONE!_

_What?! How?!_

_It's-_

Bruno was cut off by a huge bear-like creature with wings that caught him with a huge claw and sank his dagger-like teeth into Bruno's neck.

"RIGBY!"

"Huh?

"It's me" Eileen replied, "You...had a vision didn't you?". Eileen climbed up the tree to see the bone, she came closer.

"Don't" Rigby warned her, placing himself between her and Bruno's arm-bone, "You'll see it too".

"Best we learn what we need to know, even the horrific memories, step aside" Eileen pushed her way past Rigby and touched her nose to the bone, she winced and fell still.

Rigby almost thought she was dead till he saw her faintly stirring. She turned to face him.

"Chad needs to see this, he's one of us" Eileen replied, "Go look for him".

Rigby nodded, leaped out of the tree and ran past the bushes.

"Chad! Where are you? Chad?!" Rigby called, no answer.

He got impatient, "CHAD!".

"AHHHHHHHHH!" a voice screamed. Rigby's ears perked.

"CHAD?!" Rigby cried, he ran to see a huge rattlesnake cornering Chad against a huge oak. Chad curled up in the corner of the tree.

"Dude, climb!" Rigby whispered, Chad shook his head and pointed upward. Rigby looked up to see a huge tiger with long fangs positioning itself towards Rigby.

_Tigers in a forest trail?!_

Rigby backed away, but it was too late, the tiger's eyes flashed with realization and it leaped at Rigby with huge claws. Chad leaped at the tiger as soon as one of it's big paws accidentally killed the rattlesnake.

Rigby's eyes widened as the tiger plunged towards him, Chad on the tiger's back. Rigby leaped onto the tiger, and it vigorously tried to shake off the two, but they dug their claws deeper into the tiger's back.

The tiger ran through the forest. Eileen, who was still next to the bone on the tree, gasped as she saw Rigby and Chad on a wild tiger.

"Help us!" Rigby pleaded as the tiger kicked it's back legs in the air. Eileen landed on the tiger's head and her mole claws dug into the tiger's skin till they met skull.

The tiger hollered with pain and flung Rigby off of him, Chad held on strong. Rigby felt dizzy and weak, the scent of blood washing him.

His eyes opened weakly, and he saw Eileen and Chad had killed the tiger. Eileen and Chad placed him on either side of this body and they lead him to a tree.

They stared at him in horror, Rigby ignored it and flipped side-to-side in the hollow they left him in.

Once he regained full consistence, he looked to see Eileen and Chad had brought him a fish.

Rigby leaped off the tree, sharp pain struck through his right hind leg. He gave out and collapsed.

_Is my hind leg broken?_

Rigby tested it and winced, it wan't broken, but twisted.

_How can I get to the mountains now?!_

"Eileen? Chad?" Rigby cried, but nobody responded.

The sun had risen and fallen, and night had fell upon Rigby, who had curled up between the roots of the tree. The fish smelled like Eileen, so she must've of caught it for him, so why weren't they there?

_Did...did they leave me to die?_


	5. Mountains and Mudslides

Morning had came, and so had Rigby's plan to find Eileen and Chad and give them a piece of his mind. He leaped off the tree, making sure his paws were perfectly placed on the ground, he limped on three legs.

He limped three miles till he saw Eileen and Chad starting a campfire.

_Jerks!_

"HEY!" Rigby snapped, spooking Eileen and Chad, "Thanks for leaving me there to die. Chad, I would totally see you leaving me to die in _any situation, _but...Eileen! I never thought you would leave me THERE!".

Rigby was shaking now, the thought of Eileen leaving him to die was almost unbearable.

"We didn't leave you moron" Chad hissed, "We were going to get you".

"Oh yeah, _sure" _Rigby sneered, "Eileen, you wanna own up to what you did?".

Eileen was frozen still.

"Let me guess, '_you'd still have to go, YOU'RE part of the trio, that's why!'" _Rigby mocked Eileen.

"We WERE going to get you, Rigby!" Eileen snapped, she aimed a blow at Rigby muzzle, but he dodged it, "You should've been patient!".

"I didn't even know you guys were GONE" Rigby growled, "You sorry?!".

"I'm not sorry for saving your life, Rigby" Too late, Rigby had realized that Eileen saved his life while he was losing consciousness, his tail fell with a thud.

"Yeah, FORGOT ABOUT THAT" Eileen snapped, suddenly she took off, leaving Chad to blow out the fire.

"Wait!" Rigby cried, he took off after her. Eileen jumped on a tree and tree-climbed up.

_Moles can't climb trees!_

_But she can_

Rigby growled with frustration and followed her, his paws catching the branches with perfection. Rigby's heart stopped when the next branch cracked beneath his weight.

_NO!_

Rigby tried to leap for the next branch, but he fell several feet from the branch and landed right on his bad leg.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Rigby screeched as pain shot up his body, Eileen stopped tree-climbing and jumped to Rigby's side.

"Rigby!" Eileen cried, Rigby's muscles tensed.

"Sorry" he said through gritted teeth(cause of his back leg's pain).

"No, I'm sorry for being selfish" Eileen muttered, "You're right, we should've brought you along with us".

"So you _were _going to leave me to die?!" Rigby snarled.

"No, we were going to get you. Honest" Eileen replied, she laid against the tree and played with Rigby's tail while deep in thought. They sat there for a while till Chad came back.

"Hey! We're supposed to be searching for our ancestors's home, not _playing with each other's tails!" _Chad snapped, "Let's go".

Rigby leaned on Eileen's left shoulder as they traveled through the rest of Chipmunk Trail, it was dusk by the time they had reached the front of the mountain.

There were tan-colored rocks that varied from sharp and rough to smooth and tolerable, after climbing for two hours, they reached a slope with a cave opening where Eileen and Chad lead Rigby in and they saw the cave had a lake inside.

"This should be good for the night" Eileen commented, Chad nodded and slept beside the lake, his nose shivering.

Rigby limped to the corner of the cave and dragged a piece of moss over him to keep some warmth, Eileen slept beside the entrance.

Suddenly, Rigby was back in Chipmunk Trail, he was facing Bruno.

"Bruno?"

"Hello, brother" Bruno replied, "I see you've returned".

"Y-yes, I did" Rigby stammered, "Well...what now?".

"Find the Blue Crystal" Bruno said as he turned his back to Rigby and vanished.

"NO! Wait! Come back!" Rigby cried as the dream's surroundings began to fade away.

Rigby was still sleeping when he felt mud slide around his fur and the ground shaking.

"_Rigby! RIGBY!"_

"Huh?" Rigby woke up too see mud all over, cracks were coming from the ground and turning it to mud. Rigby's eyes widened with horror.

"MUDSLIDE! RUN!" Chad screamed, leaping out of the muddy cave.

"THANKS FOR LEAVING US!" Rigby yelled, "C'mon-EILEEN!".

Rigby saw Eileen fall through the cracks, he screamed and jumped after her, Rigby stretched his body to keep the crack from sealing, causing his body intense pain.

Eileen landed on a underground cliff.

_Wuh? Where's Rigby?_

Eileen looked up in horror to see Rigby trying to keep the crack from sealing.

"Rigby let go!" Eileen cried.

"But we'll get crushed!" Rigby yelled.

"NO WE WON'T" Eileen yelled back, "LET GO!".

Rigby let go, the crack grew wider and boulders fell from above ground. Rigby landed beside Eileen and pushed her out of the way of the boulders.

"GET OUT!" Rigby cried, pushing Eileen up the rocks.

"NO! I'm not letting you die!" Eileen yelled.

"You have to get out! NOW!" Rigby threw Eileen to the surface before boulders covered the crack, sealing Rigby underground.

_I'm stuck, I'm stuck..._

Rigby decided to analyze his surroundings, it was very dark and damp from the mudslide.

_Well, I just need to keep moving forward and hope Chad and Eileen don't stop because of me_

Rigby attempted to adjust his eyes to the dark, but he could barely see the rocks. He took very small steps and walked over the pebbles.

_**ROAR!**_

_What was that?!_

Rigby's whole body tensed up at the sound of the huge roar emitting from afar. He was even more spooked when he felt huge thuds beneath him.

_It's a monster!_

Rigby curled himself up between the rocks to camouflage, he tightened his whole body as the huge noises continued.

_Did that creature cause the mudslide?_

Rigby held back a flinch as he saw it's shadow: huge with what appeared to be several rows of teeth.

It snarled, Rigby then saw it. He looked at it in pure horror, he thought these creatures were just _myths. _But he couldn't deny what was before him.

It was a griffin.


	6. Griffin of the Mountain

It was _huge. _The lion with wings casually walked over the pebbles Rigby left behind. It got up on it's hind legs and observed the rocks.

Rigby stayed in his uncomfortable position in the rocks, he watched as the griffin snatched a stray mouse running.

Rigby noticed that countless animals were trapped down here.

_Could it be that the griffin can't eat anything unless it ruptures the earth, bringing down prey above ground?_

Rigby froze, that could only mean if the griffin found him, he'd get the same fate.

The griffin broke stride and pounced on a dazed hare.

Suddenly, Rigby was back in the cave. Him and the raccoon tribe were in the cave.

"This ought to be a safe place for the night" Bruno announced, "We'll leave at dawn to the Chipmunk Trail!".

_Wait! The mudslide will happen! No! They can't stay here!_

Rigby was about to protest when the earth ruptured and hey all fell into the griffin's den.

The griffin snarled and jumped on Wren, one of the raccoon Rigby recognized. Trout lead his pregnant mate under the rocks and snarled at the griffin.

The griffin finished devouring Wren and turned to face Trout with sharp teeth.

Rigby stood frozen in horror as Bruno, Leo, Echo, and Falcon leaped onto the griffin, but it did little effort to stop the griffin from killing Trout.

_Oh no! What about his mate?_

Rigby saw Willow and Bay sneaking up behind the raging griffin. Bay slashed the winged lion's hindquarters while Willow sank her teeth into it's ankle.

Delta and Birch were leading Quill and her cubs out of the den by climbing the rocks, the griffin saw this and roared. Quill's cub, Rue, fell in shock.

_NO!_

Rigby threw himself in front of the raccoon cub and bared his teeth at the griffin.

_Bring it on!_

Suddenly, the raccoon tribe disappeared, but not the griffin. Rigby realized he wasn't in the vision anymore.

He was actually facing the griffin.

_**"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRR!" **_the griffin leaped at Rigby.

Rigby skidded the other way and dug his claws into the griffin's left shoulder, but that only made the situaion worse.

The griffin snapped it's teeth angrily at Rigby, but he was barely out of reach. Rigby dug his claws into the griffin's eyes.

_Take THAT!_

The griffin ran blind across the cave, Rigby ran off.

He fell into a narrow tunnel between the rocks and ran till he landed into a clearing with a blue crystal in the center. Suddenly, voices attacked Rigby's head.

_The blue crystal!_

_It'll decide the guardian!_

_And the savior!_

_Don't forget...the sacrifice as well!'_

_That's right, Bruno! One will become the guardian of the Mountain, the other will be the savior that returns to their home, and the third one...will die trying..._

Rigby froze, the voices were talking about _them._

_Which one am I? Will I die down here while Chad and Eileen fulfill the prophecy themselves?_

Rigby stood in front of the blue crystal. Bruno's face appeared.

"Brother" Rigby greeted.

"Hello Whisker" Bruno replied, "It's time to face the griffin".

"What about the dogs we've encountered?" Rigby asked.

"They've already died decades ago" Bruno explained, "The griffin can live up to a thousand years...unless the savior can kill him".

"You think I'm the savior?" Rigby asked.

"...To be honest, I do not know. But you need to reunite with the others of the prophecy, Willow and Birch".

"That's the raccoon members the reincarnated from?" Rigby said with shock, "No wonder Eileen's into me...She's Willow!".

Rigby then looked down, he's ignored Willow all these years, even thought she was into her.

"She was given a second chance" Bruno replied, "When she heard you were coming back, she wanted to join you. Echo was furious".

"I bet she was..." Rigby muttered, still feeling horrible, "One of us will probably not survive! We can't be together!".

"You don't know that" Bruno said calmly, "There's Birch".

"Chad?" Rigby scoffed, "The chances of him dying and not one of us are pretty slim!".

"They're just the same as each one of you" Bruno corrected him, "You need to find a way out of here".

"But how?" Rigby asked, "There's only the tunnel I cam through! If I go back out there, that griffin will kill me!".

"That's not the only way" Bruno's face disappeared into a blue mist that emitted from the crystal.

"WAIT!" Rigby gasped, "COME BACK!".

It was too late, Bruno was gone.

Rigby observed the clearing, trying the find a second way out. A rabbit fell from the tunnel he came in.

"Hey" the rabbit said, "I see you'e found my den".

"Oh, is this your place?" Rigby replied, "Sorry, just trying to find a way out".

"You and me both" the rabbit chuckled, "I've been living off the ferns down here for a week now! Name's Jeff".

"Rigby" Rigby greeted. He peaked through the rocks.

"I've been looking 24/7 for a second entrance" Jeff said, "I doubt you can-"

"FOUND IT!" Rigby yelled with pleasant surprise.

"Y-You did?!" Jeff gasped, "Well, I'll be darned, let's get out of here!".

Rigby and Jeff crawled through a opening between two boulders to find themselves on a rock cliff.

"Crap"

"What's wrong?" Jeff asked.

Rigby looked down, they were at least several thousand feet in the air on a rocky wall, one wrong move and Rigby could plummet to his death.

"We're on a cliff face" Rigby gasped, "It's dangerous!".

"Not if you've been hopping these cliffs ever since you were born!" Jeff chuckled, "See you up the slope!".

And with that, Jeff gracefully hopped the cliffs up till he was out of sight.

Rigby realized the cliff he was on was very small, and he had to hop onto a bigger one.

_You can do this!_

Rigby leaped, but he didn't feel solid ground.

All he felt was air.


	7. The Battle of the Raccoon Tribe!

For a second, Rigby thought he was going to fall off the cliff, he swung his paws frantically in an attempt to hook them onto another cliff when he realized talons were sinking into his haunches.

He looked up to see the golden feathers of a Golden Eagle.

_NO! It's going to eat me!_

Rigby scratched at it's ankles, but it did nothing and the eagle flew on.

Rigby's eyes widened as he saw the Mountain looked a lot like the Grand Canyon, the eagle folded it's wings and dived, Rigby felt his fur move to the wind as the eagle plunged into a opening that led to more canyons.

_Wow! This Mountain is beautiful!_

The eagle flew to a crack in the rock wall and dropped Rigby in it. Rigby fell headfirst and spat out dust as the eagle stretched it's wings and took off.

_It...didn't eat me? Where's it's nest?_

"RIGBY!"

Rigby was turning around when he felt arms wrap around him, he looked down to see it was Eileen.

"You're OK!" Eileen gasped with relief, "I thought you were dead!".

Chad came from the shadows and looked at Rigby with cold eyes.

_I guess not everyone's happy to see me alive I guess_

"What happened?" Eileen asked.

"Well...I found the Blue Crystal"

Eileen gasped while Chad faked astonishment. It seemed that only Eileen had the dream.

"Bruno appeared and told me that we need to face the Griffin. That's what caused the Mudslide" Rigby explained, then he whispered, "_The Savior, The Guardian, and The Sacrifice..."._

"What'd you say?!" Chad growled.

"Nothing" Rigby replied quickly, "We need to find our way back underground to kill the Griffin!".

"What are we waiting for?!" Eileen exclaimed, "Let's do this.

Eileen took Rigby's hand and they reached the ground, Rigby let his tail fall on Eileen's shoulders as they ran to find an underground passage.

Chad was behind them, his eyes like stones.

_Geez, what's gotten into him?_

"Look!" Eileen exclaimed, "I think I found one!".

Rigby and Chad centered around Eileen as she pushed a boulder to show a small chasm, big enough for a Mountain Lion to fit inside.

"Let's go in!" Eileen said as she went in first, Rigby and Chad slowly following.

The chasm leaded to a tunnel that seemed to go for miles. Rigby was deep in thought as they went down.

_We're heading to a destiny of certain death...What if **I** die? That would leave Eileen and Chad...together..._

"Rigby, are you okay? Your fur's on end" Eileen asked, Rigby snapped out of his thought and his fur fell flat.

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine" Rigby replied as they continued. Suddenly, a deep throaty growl emitted the tunnel.

"What was that?" Chad whispered in a slightly spooked tone. Rigby tucked his tail between his legs and continued.

_What are the others doing back home? Margaret will be worried that Eileen's not answering her calls, and what about my work buddies at the park? What about Mordecai?_

"ROAR!"

Eileen yelped and ran into Rigby, making him run into Chad, they all fell at the sudden sound.

"Watch where you're going, dumb-butt!" Chad snarled, shoving Rigby into Eileen, he fell on top of her.

"Sorry, Wi-er, Eileen!" Rigby yelped as he jumped off Eileen, feeling stupid for almost calling her by her last life's name.

_**"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRR!"**_

Rigby felt a huge force smack him into the cave wall, they were no longer in the tunnel. His ears perked in alarm when he heard Eileen shriek.

"EILEEN!" Rigby exclaimed, he rushed the her voice but was pinned by a much lighter force.

_Eileen! She's getting hurt by the Griffin!_

"ARGH!" Rigby spat in frustration. He looked up to see who was pinning him.

It was Chad.

"Chad?!" Rigby gasped, "What are you _doing?!"._

"I'll do this over and over again" Chad growled, his voice sounding very demented, "No matter HOW many lifetimes it _takes!"._

Rigby looked at him in shock. Suddenly, memories flooded his mind.

He saw Birch baiting the black dog with an extra fish to bring the dog near him, he saw Birch kick Quill's cub off the climbing rocks and into the Griffin's sight, just to get Rigby to save her and run in harm's way.

Finally, he saw a vision of Rigby as Whisker, on his final steps of the Chipmunk Trail, he thought all of the raccoon tribe was dead when Birch leaped on him and killed him.

_That's how Whisker died, but not ME!_

Rigby's eyes adjusted to the dark and he saw Eileen on the Griffin's neck, batting it's ears. Rigby knew what to do.

"THE SACRIFICE MUST HAPPEN!" Rigby roared, "IT'S YOU!".

"Wait, what?!" Chad gasped when Rigby used all four of his paws to dislodge Chad into the air. Eileen was about to be killed by the Griffin when Chad fell right on top of him.

Eileen scored her claws across the Griffin and it fell dead. Rigby gaped at the scene.

_But there HAS to be a sacrifice! This is horribly wrong! And I'm not the savior! Eileen was!_

"Thought you could kill me?!" Chad snarled, he removed a tooth from the dead Griffin and threw it at Rigby, "TAKE THIS!".

Rigby quickly picked up a small boulder and lifted it to his face, the tooth deflected when it ht the rock, he heard a breath cut off. He looked up.

The tooth hit Eileen.

It impaled her throat and she fell, life pouring out of her.

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_Rigby screamed, he ran to Eileen's side, but she was beyond saving.

"Whisker..." Eileen whispered at her last breaths, "I'll return...I _promise"._

"Willow, _no" _Rigby was at tears, he was overwhelmed with grief, "_Please, I love you"._

"I love you too..." the life faded from her eyes.

Eileen was dead.

Rigby fell on her body and started crying.

_The sacrifice...The savior...the guardian...it was all supposed to fall into place, but now..._

"YOU KILLED HER!" Rigby roared, his eyes wild, "TIME TO DIE!".

Rigby lunged at Chad and ripped clumps of fur off him and was about to finish him off.

"WAIT!" Chad gasped, "Think twi-"

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

Suddenly, the ground started shaking, the ground erupted and the cave fell apart, Rigby ran out and latched onto a falling boulder, clinging for his life.

He saw Chad disappear in the tumbling of boulders, Rigby smirked when he heard the crack of bone.

The ground finally settled, and Rigby found Chad's body in the rubble, he was dead.

Rigby ran away from the scene and crawled between two rocks. He saw the same Golden Eagle hovering the air.

_The prophecy, it didn't end up the way it should have, oh Eileen...I'll miss you._

**Epilogue**

"That wan't the prophecy!" Apple exclaimed too Bruno, "The worst is still to come!".

"I know" Bruno replied, "The Sacrifice has happened, but the Savior and Guardian have to be set in motion, we need four raccoons to be reincarnated".

"Please, Bruno!" a caramel-colored raccoon cried, "My Whisky needs me!".

"We know he's lost without you, Willow" Bruno said with sympathy, "You may be reincarnated".

"He's MINE!" Echo snarled, shoving Willow away, "I'M COMING TOO!".

"Fine" Bruno muttered to Willow's horror, "Anyon-NO, not you Birch! You tried to kill Whisker, you PROMISED you wouldn't do that!".

Birch grumbled something under his breath and looked away.

"Rue should" Quill whimpered, "My daughter got killed by that winged-monster before she could truly live".

"Of course" Bruno replied, "Leo, yes you can go as well".

Leo looked up with pride and gladly joined the three girl-coons. The four looked at Bruno.

"Alright, then" Bruno replied, lifting up a blue orb, "The Orb of the Moon-Paws shall determine what forms you'll take in your next lives".

Willow stepped up, the Orb of the Moon-Paws showed a image of a Coyote.

"The Orb has decided" Bruno nodded his head to Willow, "Jump through the border to be reborn".

Willow vanished through the mist and Echo came up, the Orb showed a sleek black cat before Echo vanished as well. Rue was given the form of a owl and Leo was given the form of a lion before they both disappeared as well.

Bruno stood in front of the raccoon tribe that remained.

"We WILL SURVIVE!" Bruno shouted, "BUT THE DRAGON OF DESTRUCTION WILL COME, THE SAVIOR AND THE GUARDIAN WILL STOP IT FROM DESTROYING THE WORLD! _**WE ARE THE MOON-PAWS!".**_

The Moon-Paws gave cries of victory, Bruno's mate, Quill, joined him as they stepped into their cave.

"You sure they'll be safe, even our daughter?" Quill asked with big orange eyes. Bruno looked down.

"They have our blessing, that's all I can say"

**Sequel sometime this year, or not! Thanks for reading, please review!**


End file.
